This invention relates generally to strollers for handicapped individuals and more particularly, to an adjustable wheeled apparatus designed to carry a seat support for a neurologically impaired child, adolescent or adult.
Neurologically impaired individuals suffer from injury, disease or disorder of the brain or nervous system. Two leading causes of neurological impairment, particularly in children and adolescents, are cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. Although the severity of such disorders will vary, in many cases the individuals suffer from characteristic symptoms such as partial or total loss of muscular control and motion, and partial loss of speech, hearing and reasoning abilities. Neurological impairment and its effects are discussed in some detail in a copending application entitled "Seat Support and Restraint System for the Handicapped," Ser. No. 874,032.
Briefly, neurological disorders especially in children and adolescents undergoing muscular and skeletal formation, often result in progressive body deformation. One method to assist in slowing the progressive nature of the disorder is to provide a support structure which properly anatomically aligns and supports an occupant. In particular, a support structure which properly anatomically aligns and supports an occupant facilitates the occupant's performance of daily living skills, assists in controlling or slowing the progress of muscular or skeletal deformities, and facilitates muscle and posture therapy. A first important characteristic, therefore, of any seat support for such a handicapped child, adolescent or adult, including a wheeled seat structure or stroller, is that the support surface be capable of properly anatomically aligning and supporting the body of the individual seated thereon.
Another desirable characteristic of a wheeled seat structure or stroller for such a handicapped individual is that an adjustment mechanism be provided for convenient variation of the spatial orientation of the seated occupant without concomitant change in the occupant's anatomical alignment. By being able to change the spatial orientation of the occupant, certain muscle groups may be selectively relaxed or stressed with therapeutic results. The adjustment mechanism is preferably capable of being easily actuated by an individual attending to the stroller even while the occupant remains seated thereon.
A further desirable characteristic of a wheeled seat structure or stroller for such a handicapped individual is that it be ruggedly constructed to traverse a wide variety of terrains and be capable of supporting individuals of varying size and weight. Balanced against these characteristics is a desire that the stroller be easily transportable and storable when not in use. Most, if not all, presently available wheeled support structures or strollers for handicapped individuals fail to adequately include the above preferred characteristics.
A standard wheelchair is perhaps the most common wheeled support structure for handicapped individuals. Although wheelchairs are commonly designed to be readily adaptable to accommodate individuals of different sizes and shape, they often lack the contoured support needed to properly anatomically align and support the occupant. Further, standard wheelchairs frequently have complicated adjustment mechanisms in order to accommodate individuals of different size and weight, and fail to provide any means for varying the spatial orientation of the occupant without disturbing a therapeutically desired seating posture. Lastly, standard wheelchairs by their design and construction are usually restricted as to the type of terrain which can be traversed. For example, they typically have relatively small swivel wheels or coasters secured to their lower front end for mobility, which, because of their size often act as a limitation on the mobility of the wheelchair.
Another type of wheeled support structure, although not specifically designed for handicapped individuals, is a baby stroller. A wide variety of baby strollers are presently available, however, none appear to satisfactorily combine the above desirable characteristics of a wheeled seat support or stroller for a handicapped individual. Baby strollers are designed to function primarily as wheeled structures for babies and small children. Therefore, such strollers are usually engineered to be of a light construction and often include intricate adjustment or collapsment mechanisms which would be unduly cumbersome if enlarged to the size necessary for a wheeled support structure or stroller for an adolescent or adult. Lastly, baby strollers generally lack any contoured support such as that needed to properly anatomically align and support a handicapped individual.
Thus, there presently exists a geniune need for a wheeled support structure or stroller capable of properly anatomically aligning and supporting a seated occupant and capable of being adjusted to vary the spatial orientation of the occupant, which is sufficiently rugged to traverse a wide variety of terrains and yet easily transportable and storable when not in use.